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Less is more

A new line of attack from the Ontario Health Minister, Deb Matthews: cutting hospital beds and Emergency Rooms actually helps your health.

"The decision to close - to convert - the two emergency rooms to urgent care centres was a quality of care decision," Matthews said. "It is not a funding cut decision."

"When we see hospitals close beds, that's actually in and of itself not a bad news story because so much more care is being provided in the community," Matthews insisted yesterday.

When they start saying cutbacks are good, it's probably a sign of things to come. But when we are already at 98% bed occupancy and backed up ERs, the signs are not good. -- Doug
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